Phonograph system



1944- H. M. BISHOP 2,355,504

PHONOGRAPH SYSTEM Filed Oct. .16, 1942 Patented Aug. 8, 1944 PHONOGRAPH SYSTEM Henry Melchior Bishop, West Orange, N. 1., as-

signor to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, West Orange, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 16, 1942, Serial No. 462,213

9 Claims.

The invention is particularly concerned with the provision of an improved control station for a recording phonograph which is adapted to simplify the control operations which need to be performed in order to record a telephone conversation and thereafter uncouple the phonograph from the telephone system and put the phonograph out of operating condition. The invention is especially designed to permit easy recording by telephone operators from a central switchboard, and it is to this application that I herein illustrate and describe my invention.

It is an object of my invention to simplify the control and operation of telephone recording phonographs of the type which are to have coupling with the telephone system only during periods of actual use, and are to be wholly uncoupled or detached fromthe telephone system during periods of non-use.

It is another object of my invention to provide a phonograph system which can be left in a stand by conditionthat is, a condition for immediate use-and be connected to a telephone system and put into operation, and be detached from the telephone system and put out of operation, each by a single manipulation.

It is another object to provide a phonograph control station for use by telephone operators which is simple to operate and foolproof against misoperation. 7

It is another object to provide a control station for a recording phonograph which will enable a telephone operator to complete a line connection and put into operation a phonograph to record the conversation through the connected line by performing only operations of the usual character performed in operating a switchboard.

Other and allied objects and features of my invention will more fully appear from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of my invention to the selective recordation of telephone signals from a central switchboard; and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of circuits and mechanism of a phonograph system according to my invention, the parts of the control station being in the positions they are to occupy dition.

when the phonograph is in a stand by con- The phonograph proper shown in the accompanying figures, and there generally referred to as I, has the usual operating mechanism comprising a rotatable record support 2for example, a mandrel for carrying a cylindrical record R, a translating device 3 adapted to be fed along the record by rotation of a feed screw 4, which feed screw is geared at 5 to the mandrel, and a drive motor 6 which is coupled to transmit its power through a clutch I to the mandrel and feed screw. The translating device has a recorder stylus 8 which is movable into and out of coaction with the record by shifting a control lever 9 into and out of operative condition; and this shifting of the control lever is adapted to engage and disengage the translating device with and from the feed screw as is well known and common to the art.

Signals or voice-representing oscillations which are to be recorded by the phonograph are fed thereto by way of a shielded two-conductor cable l0, which I herein refer to as the signal input channel for the phonograph. This channel leads to input terminals l I of an oscillation amplifier i2 having output terminals 13 connected by leads M to the translating device. This amplifier-it will be understoodis to amplify the incoming signals to a proper level for recordation on the record R by the translating device 3.

For purposes of my invention the phonograph operating mechanism above described may be put into and out of operation in any one of several ways. For instance, during a stand by" period the motor 6 may be left running and the control lever 9 be left in operative position and the mechanism be put into and out of operation by shifting the clutch I into and out of engagement. or the motor may be-left running and the clutch be left engaged and the mechanism be put into and out of operation by shifting the lever 9 into and out of operative position. Alternatively, the clutch may be left engaged and the control lever 9 be left in operative position and the mechanism be put into and out of operation by starting and stopping the motor. However, in practicing my invention, I prefer to use this last mode of control of the phonograph operating mechanism and do herein illustrate my invention accordingly.

The phonograph is controlled according to my invention by means of a control station 15. This control station comprises a box having two compartments therein separated by a shielding partition l6: a compartment H for housing certain power circuits and associated control apparatus for the phonograph, and a compartment l6 for housing certain signal input circuits and associated apparatus for the signal or audio system of the phonograph.

Power to the amplifier and motor is supplied by way of aplug l9. One side of this plug has a permanent connection through leads 20 and 2| to respective amplifier and motor power input terminals. The other side of the plug is connected to the other amplifier and motor power input terminals but these connections serially include respective on-oii switches 23 and 26 contained in the compartment ll of the control station, there being, for instance, lead connections 22 and 25 to the on-oif switches 23 and 26 and lead connections 24 and 21 from the switches back to the amplifier and motor respectively. The on-off switch 23 for the amplifier is mounted on the control station for direct hand operation, but the on-ofl switch 26 for the motor is enclosed within the-compartment ll for operation as an incident to a normal act performed in the use of the phonograph apparatus as is hereinafter described. For indicating to the operator when the motor and amplifier are in operation, there are provided respective pilot lamps 26 and 29. These lamps are connected respectively across the motor and amplifier power input terminals by respective connections 36 and 3| to the lead connections 21 and 24, and by a common return connection 32 to the plug. These various leads which run between the phonograph proper and the control station l5 are contained in one cable designated as 33 in Figure 1.

The shielded cable Ill or-input channel of the phonograph is connected to a network 34 contained in the compartment l8 of the control station, and this network is in turn connected through blocking condensers 35 to a flexible cord or cable 36 leading out from the control station. The connecting cord 36 is adapted for suitable coupling or connection to a telephone system; in the present instance, to permit coupling of the cord to a central switchboard 31 such as is shown in Figure 1, the cord is terminated into a regular telephone plug 38. The network 34 comprises serial resistors 39 and 40 and respectively associated shunt resistors 4| and 42. The shunt resistors have adjustable taps provided with a common connection 43 to the shielding, or eifective ground, of the signal input system, as to the partition wall l6. By an adjustment of the shunt resistors 4| and 42, the general level of signal input to the phonograph is controlled, and by an appropriate relative adjustment of these resistors the input circuit is balanced with respect to its shield so as to subdue noise and hum pickup as in the manner disclosed in the Kurtze Patent No. 2,181,513.

It will be understood that at a central switchboard the operator is to make a line connection from the line of a calling party, as at 44, to the line of a party being called, as at 45. This is done by means of a so-called patch cord" 46 having plugs 41 and 48 at its ends. To record from telephone lines at a switchboard there must be provision for making such a line connection and yet also for tapping the phonograph input channel across the lines so interconnected. Preferably, according to my invention, this provision is afforded by routing the line connection through the control station l5. This is done by providing the cord 36 with a third wire-the sleeve wire for ringing connection-and connecting the three wires of the cord respectively to tip, sleeve and ring of a telephone jack 46 that is mounted in the compartment ll of the control box. The line connections are thus made as follows: the operator will take a call by plugging one end of the patch cord 46 to the line of the calling party and throwing a listening key 62. If it is a call that is not to be recorded she will complete the line connection in the usual way, but it the call is to be recorded she will plug the other end of the patch cord into the jack 49 and then take the connecting cord 36 of the control station and plug it into the line of the party being called or intowhat may be termed-an operative position.

When a conversation which is being recorded is completed, and the operator pulls the plugs of the connecting cords, the patch cord will be retracted automatically to the base of the switchboard by the usual weighting thereof. I may similarly have the cord 36 returned into the control station IE but I prefer, for convenience in handling the cord and simplicity of structure, to provide a holder on the control station for the free end portion of the cord to which the cord may be readily attached and be available within reach of the hand when it is next needed. For so mounting the connecting cord 36, I provide a support jack 50 as a part of the control station l5, into which the plug 33 of the cord is to be inserted when the phonograph is put out of operation-this position of the plug being an inoperative one.

It will be understood that when th l honograph is leit in a stand by condition, the amplifier will be left connected to its power source so as to be ready for immediate use, but the phonograph operating mechanism will be put into inoperative condition so that the record will not be used up needlessly during non-use of the machine. Accordingly, the operator, in addition to making the line connections described above, has to put the phonograph operating mechanism into operation in order to record a telephone conversation from a line of the switchboard, and has to put the operating mechanism out of operation when the telephone conversation is completed. In practice, especially at busy switchboards, operators will forget at times to perform these necessary control operations on the phonograph and, as a result, the telephone conversations are at times not recorded and at other times the machine is let run after a recordation operation is completed and the record is inadvertently used up.

My invention is designed to remove the chances of an operator failing to start and stop the phonograph at the proper times, and to provide a simplified mode of control for the phonograph, by causing the phonograph mechanism to be put automatically into and out of operation, at the beginning and completion of a recording operation, as an incident to the operations performed in making and breaking a line connection of the switchboard with the phonograph in the manner above described. This is accomplished by placing the on-ofl switch 26 for the phonograph operating mechanism in operative association with the support jack 50 so that the switch will be actuated to on and of! positions by removal and insertion of the plug from and into the jack. The support jack 50 is accordingly mounted in the compartment ll of the control station and is suit ably coupled to the on-ofif switch 26 by an.

insulating post 51 that is interposed between a assasoa springoitheswitchandaspringlloofths Jack. when the plug is inserted into the Jack the spring Illa is spread to the side to actuate the on-off switch to open position, and when the plug is removed from the Jack the spring Illa restores itself to normal position and the on-oif switch for the motor returns to closed position.

It will be understood to be a customary and natural act for a switchboard operator to insert the connector plug 38 or thecontrol station into the support jack to as an incident following the pulling of the plug from the switchboard, for she will feel constrained against letting go of the plug until it is inserted into the Jack and thus securely held, knowing that otherwise the cord It would fall out of her reach and would not be readily available when it was next needed. This automatic act of inserting the plug into the support Jack-which is an act of the same character as is performed in completing line connections at the switchboard-places the phonograph operating mechanism out of operation. when a recordation of another telephone conversation is to be next made, the pulling of the connector plug $8 from the support Jack for insertion into the switchboard of the party being called, automatically places the phonograph back into operation. By so requiring the operator to perform only the usual operations characteristic of her work, in order to enable her to record from the switchboard, a correct and dependable operation of the phonograph is assured.

It will be noted to be a further feature of the present phonograph control system that the phonograph operating mechanism is automatically put into operation as an incident preliminary to completing the line and phonograph input-circuit connections and is not put out of operation until after these connections have been broken and the cords restored. This feature has the advantage of insuring the phonograph being in operating condition when the line and input circuit connections are made, and of avoiding starting the machine too late or stopping it too early such as might result in a loss of recordation of the first and last portions of a telephone conversation.

I intend no unnecessary limitation of my invention to the specific embodiment thereof herein disclosed since this embodiment is subject to changes and modifications without departure from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to express according to the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a phonograph system adapted for recording signals from a telephone system and comprising drive means and record-cooperating translating means: the combination of transmitting means adapted to be positioned by the hand'and including a fiexible connecting cable for detachably connecting the phonograph system to the telephone system, said transmitting means being adapted for carrying signals from the telephone system to said translating means; means adapted to serve as a support for said transmitting means when the phonograph system is not in use; control means operable into on and of! positions to render said drive means eflective and ineflective; and means operatively associating said control means with said support means for causing the control means to be moved to of! and on positions as an incident to mounting and removing said transmitting means onto and from said support means.

2. In a phonograph system adapted for recording signals from a telephone system and including a signal input channel and a phonograph operating mechanism: the combination of a'fiexible cable leading trom said input channel and terminating into means adapted for effecting an operative coupling with the telephone system: a holder for removably receiving said terminating means to support the free end of said cable during non-use of the phonograph system; and control means, associated with said holder and actuated automatically as said terminating means is removed from and restored to the holder, for placing said operating mechanism into and out of operation.

8. In a phonograph system adapted for recording selectively from telephone lines at a central switchboard and including a signal input channel and an operating mechanism: the combination of a flexible cable leading from said input channel and terminating into a telephone connector plug a holder adapted to receive said plug during nonuse of the phonograph system and means, associated with said holder for actuation incident to the removal and insertion of said plug out of and into said holder, for respectively placing said operating mechanism into and out of operation.

4. In a phonograph system adapted for recording selectively from telephone lines 'at a central switchboard and including a signal input channel and a phonograph operating mechanism: a control station for said phonograph system comprising a flexible connecting cord leading out from said input channel and having a connecting device on the free end thereof adapted for detachably connecting said cord to a terminating line of said switchboard; means for supporting said connecting device during nonuse of the phonograph system;' and control means for said operating mechanism and in association with said support means, said control means being actuated by said connecting device to put the operating mechanism out of operation as the device is mounted on said support means and being restored to put the operating mechanism into operation as an incident to removing the connecting device from the support means.

5. In a phonograph system adapted for recording selectively from telephone lines at a central switchboard and comprising a signal input channel and phonograph operating mechanism: a control statioii comprising a flexible connecting cord leading from said input channel and terminating into a telephone connector plug; a Jack into which said plug is adapted to be inserted when the phonograph is put out of use; and means, associated with said jack and operated incident to mounting said plug therein and removing the same therefrom, for respectively putting said operating mechanism out of and into operation.

6. In a system including a central telephone switchboard and a phonograph for recording selectively from the lines of said switchboard, said phonograph having a signal input channel and an operating mechanism: the combination of means for selectively interconnecting pairs of the terminating lines in said switchboard and for tapping the input channel of the phonograph across the interconnected lines, said means including a connecting element adapted to be removed from inoperative position to an operative position as an incident to effecting said connection; a supporting means for holding said connecting element in inoperative position during non-use of the phonograph; and means associated with said supporting means to cause said phonograph operating mechanism to be placed into and out of operation as an incident to removing and restoring said connecting element from and to said inoperative position.

7. In a phonograph system adapted for recording selectively from telephone lines at a central switchboard and including a signal input channel and an operating mechanism: a control station having a flexible cable leading therefrom and connected to said input channel, said cable terminating into a connector plug for selective connection at a switchboard with the line of a party being called; a jack connected to said cable and with which the patch cord of the switchboard from the calling party is to be connected; a support jack for said connector plug into which the plug is to be inserted when the phonograph is put out of use; and means to cause said operating mechanism to be put into and out of operation by the removal and insertion of said connector plug from and into said support jack.

8. A control station for adapting a phonograph, having a signal input channel and operating mechanism, for recordation of telephone messages from line connections at a central switchboard, comprising a jack into which one end of the patch cord from the switchboard is to be inserted, a leading-out cord and terminating plug adapted for selective insertion into the switchboard, circuit means interconnecting said Jack and cord and connecting the same to said input channel, a support jack for holding said plug during non-use of the phonograph, control means for said operating mechanism, and means to operate said control means as an incident to inserting and removing said plug into and from said support Jack.

9. In a phonograph system adapted for recording from telephone lines at a central switchboard and comprising a signal input channel and a phonograph operating mechanism: the combination of circuit connecting means adapted to be manipulated from one position to another to effeet a circuit connection of said input channel with said switchboard, said connecting means being adapted to be restored to said one position upon completion of a recording operation; control means for putting said phonograph operating mechanism into and out of operation; and means to actuate said control means upon removal and restoration of said connecting means from and to said one position whereby to put said phonograph mechanism into operation as an incident preliminary to completing said circult connection and to put the mechanism out of operation as an incident subsequent to breaking that connection.

H. MEICHIOR BISHOP. 

